Crew: 2 man crew. For racing, ideal weight of sailors should be between 110 and 145kgs.Dimensions: 4.7 meters in length, 1.68 meters in width and ±120kg.Sail Area: 13.9 square meters, spinnaker is 14.3 square meters.Class: Restricted (hull shape remains the same from year to year)Characteristics: Two person single trapeze boat that is sailed throughout the world.Difficulty Level: Intermediate

The 470 was designed in 1963 by the Frenchman André Cornu as a modern fiberglass planing dinghy to appeal to sailors of different sizes and ages. This formula succeeded, and the boat spread around the world. In 1969, the class was given international status and it has been an Olympic class since 1976. In 1988, the first Olympic women's sailing event used the 470.

The 470 (Four-Seventy) is a double-handed monohull planing dinghy with a centreboard, Bermuda rig, and centre sheeting. The name is the overall length of the boat in centimetres (i.e., the boat is 4.70 metres long). The hull is fibreglass with integral buoyancy tanks making it safer even when inverted. The 470 is equipped with spinnaker and trapeze, making teamwork necessary to sail it well. It has a large sail-area-to-weight ratio, and is designed to plane easily.

The 470 is a popular class with both individuals and sailing schools, offering a good introduction to high-performance boats without being excessively difficult to handle. It is not a boat designed for beginners, however, it's earlier designed smaller sister the 420 is a stepping-stone to the 470. The 470 is an International Sailing Federation International Class and has been an Olympic class since the 1976 games. The Class was initially an open class, but since the 1988 games there have been separate events for men and women.
History